Strangled in Darkness
by Dauthi
Summary: What happens when your parents break up? When you confess too late? When you've given up everything and you just want to die... Alternate pairings everywhere! Rockman.EXE
1. Crumpled Dreams

I can't sleep lately. Every time I close my eyes, Netto's face haunts my dreams. My homework lies untouched on my computer, but I just can't make myself work on it, even with finals coming up. Heavy, my body feels. I lift a hand up to my forehead. There's nothing wrong with me. Just feeling that I'm spinning away from my sanity, and I'm going to crash and burn at any moment.  
  
Shaking my head, I brush my hair behind my ears and breathe deeply. I'm not going to be weighed down like this. I need to be strong, to keep working at it.  
  
But I just want to give up.  
  
It's always so easy to picture the end, where everything works out and everyone's content, but it's never easy to tread the path to it.  
  
I need someone to talk to. Someone who will understand me, understand what I'm feeling at this moment. Yet. out of all my friends, who would actually be able to comprehend this misery?  
  
*beep*  
  
Roll-chan pops up onto the screen. "Meiru-chan, you have mail from Dekao. Should I delete it?"  
  
I sigh. Yet another daily e-mail from Dekao. But maybe. "Actually, please open it this time."  
  
Roll-chan hesitates. "You do realize he's asking you on a date again?"  
  
"I know. That's why I want to open it."  
  
Roll-chan still hasn't moved. In a surprised voice, she asks, "What happened to Netto?"  
  
My voice starts to strain. "Please just read it."  
  
"Heya, Meiru-chan. Would you like to go to the arcade with me tomorrow? Bye! Love, Dekao"  
  
Roll-chan finishes, and asks, "What kind of reply should I make?"  
  
"Answer yes, and ask at what time."  
  
I don't want to feel this pain anymore. There has to be an answer out there. Something that would make this all go away, make it all better.  
  
Something that could give me the courage to do something with this heart I've created.  
  
My hands find their way to a pencil, and I begin to sketch Netto's face absently as I wait for a reply. It could be so perfect, our love.  
  
Always together, playing around. Supporting one another, creating a bond that would go on forever.  
  
His face would sport a grin as he bantered with me, and joy would enter both of our souls.  
  
It could be so perfect.  
  
These daydreams elevate me beyond measures, even as they tear into me with razor sharp claws.  
  
And the wounds that I bear are my tears of blood.  
  
The computer beeps again, as Roll-chan opens the e-mail.  
  
"Dekao replies: All right!! Meet me at 2:30 at the arcade tomorrow! Love, Dekao."  
  
I wipe my eyes clear, but a few make their way to splash onto my sketch of Netto.  
  
Somehow, my hand floats down to touch his hair, and trails down until it reaches his chin. I feel obsessed, so very obsessed with something that is out of my reach.  
  
I sigh and close my eyes, leaning back against my chair. I'm losing it.  
  
Roll-chan gives a small sigh as well, and whispers, "Meiru-chan." I can hear the sadness and pity in her voice.  
  
I get up from my chair and climb the ladder up to my bed. My homework lies on the computer, still untouched.  
  
"Good night, Roll-chan."  
  
She sighs again, softly. My heart cracks into pieces, even as I make up my mind. I'm moving on. I have to get my own strength. Maybe Dekao can be the key. 


	2. Bloodlines

Strangled in Darkness - A Rockman.EXE story

A production by Tiger Dauthi

Chapter 2 - Bloodlines

Blah. Chapter 2. What else can I say? 

--- 

My name is Netto. Hikari Netto, second place winner of the N1 Grand Prix. Netbattler with the powerful Navi Rockman. A savior of the world. 

Witness to the worst fight my parents have had in my entire life. 

My face is peeking out of the doorway to my room at this moment, afraid to make more noise or advance much further than that, for fear of directing my parents' wrath on me. My PET is resting in my hand, staring out and down the stairs as well. 

The center of our attentions are in the dining room, yelling at each other. Hikari Yuuichiro and Haruka, my father and mother. 

My dad's bellowing at my mom right now.  
"Yeah, and you feel you can just waltz off-" 

"What about you?!" My mom shrieks, "When was the last time you'd been in this house?! What about me? You just decide to go on your stupid trips that extend forever!! I can't recall you living here for more than a week ever since Netto was in first grade!!" 

"That doesn't give you the right to go and have an affair-" 

"I don't hear a single thing from you about anything on your trips, and you expect me to just place blind faith in you staying celibal?!" 

"Yes!!! You're my wife, I thought you'd have more trust in me then that!" 

Her eyes flare. "You're asking me to have trust in you when you don't tell me anything about your journeys?!" 

"I..." 

"Have you even thought about what impact this would have on Netto?" 

"I..." 

My mom reaches up to stroke his cheek, but gets pushed violently back by my dad. "DON'T TOUCH ME!!!" 

He's heaving and his breath is drawn out, like someone who's been forced to use a lot of physical energy for something. With bitterness, he asks, "Have you thought about what impact your affair would have on Netto?" 

"...Yes... it will... earn him a good father..." 

"And I haven't been a good one?" His voice is rising again, ready to explode into that terrifying anger. 

"It's just... that you¡¯re never there..." 

He walks dangerously close to her and makes as if to clutch her by the throat, then stops and just sits on the couch. An angry mumble just barely reaches my ears.  
"Hikawa-san... that bastard..." 

"You have no right to disrespect him like that!" 

"You have no right to tell me what to do anymore." 

Silence. Then in a sudden rage, he springs from the couch, and reaches in her direction. She screams and ducks, only to find that he was not aiming for her, but for the picture frame housing our family. Angrily he flings it in the direction of the stairway. It smashes against the railing, shards of glass flying everywhere. One flies dangerously close to me, even shaving off a few of my flyaway strands of hair as it lodges into the door. Startled, I scramble back. My dad's voice resonates in a low and tense voice. 

"I'll be waiting at the SciLab when you want me to sign the divorce papers." 

The door is slammed with such ferocity that I can hear it bounce back open again, hinges creaking unhappily. 

My mother is sobbing softly. 

I glance at the picture that slid out of the frame. It's landed on the bottommost step, shredded by a piece of glass. The largest tear completely obscures my dad's face. The picture's been destroyed. 

Just like our family. 

--- 

^^; I'm really sorry about this stuff. I know it's very repelling. Oh well. BTW, would anybody like to be a beta reader for me? It helps when I have one. The problem is, none of my friends know about Rockman.EXE because they only know about Megaman and they don't like the NT Warrior show. I recruited more fangirls for Enzan though!! ^_^ 

If you wanna be a beta reader, e-mail pikanine@hotmail.com. 


End file.
